The author tasked with continuing the legacy of iconic children’s book character Winnie-the-Pooh has told of the importance of encouraging children to “fall in love with reading”.
Jane Riordan, who has written several Winnie-the-Pooh prequels and sequels based on AA Milne’s original tales, is among the authors taking part in the Winnie-the-Pooh Hunny Hunt trail at Hillsborough Castle Gardens, now transformed into the famous bear’s magical home, Hundred Acre Wood.
Running every Saturday until August 31, the trail will be brought to life by a storytelling session at Owl’s Book Corner within the castle grounds, hosted by a different author each week.
“There’s less and less time in classrooms for storytelling and in life in general,” Jane explains following her first storytelling stint.
“Parents are busy and there’s a lot going on and carving out time to sit and read a story is hard, so events like this where storytelling is more accessible and which give people an opportunity to come along, make that time and just enjoy a story, are invaluable.
“I think it’s important to encourage young children to fall in love with reading and use their imaginations, especially when we spend so much time staring at screens.”
I think it’s important to encourage young children to fall in love with reading and use their imaginations, especially when we spend so much time staring at screens
— Jane Riordan
Having originally trained to be a teacher, Jane - who hails from Hampshire - says her lifelong love for children’s books led to her pursuing a career in publishing instead.
However, she admits that she “fell in to actually writing them.”
“I was really lucky,” she admits.
“I worked in publishing for a long time, and often as an editor you end up doing a little bit of writing by stealth because you’re either editing someone else’s work or you’re writing for brands and things.
“I suppose I’d always wanted to write my own book, but I never expected it to come about the way that it did.”
Jane explains that, while heading up a new publishing campaign for Winne-the-Pooh, an opportunity arose to expand on the whimsical adventures of Pooh and co in a brand-new book.
“We wanted to do something that told the story of Pooh and the gang before the Hundred Acre Wood,” she says.
“So, we approached lots of different writers and creatives who wrote a sample, and I wrote a sample, and the publishers chose blind which one they thought was best - and they chose mine.
“I was just in the right place at the right time to be honest.”
Winnie-the-Pooh: Once There Was a Bear was published in 2021 to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the original stories.
The prequel blends history with fiction, taking readers back to the moment when Winnie-the-Pooh was first bought in Harrods for baby Christopher Robin - who was based on AA Milne’s real life son, Christopher Robin Milne.
It is believed that the real Christopher originally called the iconic yellow teddy bear Edward, but renamed it Winnie after Winnipeg, a Canadian black bear that he and his father would often visit at London Zoo.
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Through the prequel, Jane was able to invent an encounter between Pooh and Winnipeg.
“A lot of the ideas I had for the book, like Pooh meeting Winnipeg, are based on things that really happened,” she says.
“I did a lot of research into it because I wanted there to be as much of Milne in there as possible.
“I also think the fact I grew up with Winnie-the-Pooh has been huge help as well, because I can hear Milne’s voice in my head when I’m writing which has allowed thoughts and ideas to come quite naturally, so it never feels like a chore.”
Since then, Jane has written several more Winnie-the-Pooh adventures including Winnie-the-Pooh: Tales from the Forest and Winnie-the-Pooh: Winter in the Wood, as well as introducing a new character to Hundred Acre Wood.
“We were keen to bring a new character into the stories, but we wanted it to be something that really fitted with the world.
“So, we did some research, and we discovered that when Milne went off to fight in the First World War, he took a little mascot with him in the form of a stuffed dog who he named Carmen.
“We don’t know exactly what it looked like, but we know it was in his pocket the whole time and kept him safe, and he came back with it.
“When we discovered this, we thought introducing a high energy puppy to the story worked perfectly.”
Jane admits that her favourite character to write is the perpetually gloomy, pessimistic and melancholic donkey, Eeyore.
“He is so much fun to write about because he’s just so grumpy,” she laughs.
“We all know an Eeyore, so I feel in that sense he’s quite relatable.
“I just think he’s fabulous.”
However, she confesses that that extending the life of such a universally beloved children’s book comes with its challenges.
“The idea is that I’m writing in Milne’s style and voice which is a huge responsibility and can definitely be very daunting at times,” she says.
“But there’s a whole estate that surrounds Milne and illustrator EH Shepard’s work, who are checking everything at every stage and making sure that I get it right.
“So, there’s a great support team there which is really comforting and makes things slightly easier.
“And I wouldn’t change it for the world because actually getting to see kids read and respond to the books is such an incredible feeling.”
Jane adds that one of the best parts of her job is attending events like Hillsborough’s Hunny Hunt trail, as it gives her the opportunity to read to children and see their reactions live.
“I love coming out and doing events and meeting my readers - it gives me an opportunity to get creative and find ways to make the experience more interactive and memorable, which is always fun.
“And I really love the fact you can never know what type of response you’re going to get. At the end of my events I always ask if there are any questions and there’s almost never a question - normally it’s just a random statement - but I love it.
“I think it’s great to get storytelling out in the wild, because it’s not something you see too often anymore.”
Reflecting on the success of her books and with the 100th anniversary of the original stories coming up next year, Jane believes it’s the “complete freedom” within the Winnie-the-Pooh tales which have enabled them to stand the test of time.
“It’s just one of those extraordinary things where most of us grew up with Winnie-the-Pooh and there’s universal appeal and wholesomeness to it that just seems to keep inspiring us to read them to the next generation.
“For me, I think it’s because there are no adults in the books - which makes it such a free world.
“It’s just a little boy and his toys: there’s no-one telling them it’s time for lunch or time for bed, it’s just fresh air, freedom and adventure.
“I think that’s something we can call enjoy and relate to on some level.”
Visit hrp.org.uk/hillsborough-castle for more information and to book tickets
